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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · spell · bass · cap · lie · race · key · suit

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. key — the most important part
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rest — what's left
  7. race — a contest
  8. spell — magic
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. spell — letters
  11. cap — a hat
  12. race — humankind
  13. suit — to fit
  14. lie — to recline
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bass — low music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. key — in music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bass — the fish
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. race — the arms race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com